Real Me
by See Jane Write
Summary: After Willow did the spell that activated all the Slayers, she became the enemy to all demons and vampires, so the government put her in Witness Protection. Her new identity is in New York City. Xover with How I Met Your Mother.
1. Chapter 1

Real Me

Summary: After Willow did the spell that activated all the Slayers, she became the enemy to all demons and vampires. Since there were many attempts on taking her life, the government put her in Witness Protection. Her new identity is in New York City. Crossover with How I Met Your Mother.

Author's Note: I love Ruth forever for adding ideas to the plot. I apologize to our non-Buffy/How I Met your Mother-loving carpool for having to listen to us. And, on a more plot-related note, Willow obviously did not go to Belize with Kennedy. As usual, feedback is welcomed and appreciated.

Disclaimer: Think about this for a second. I am in high school. If I actually had invented these two magnificent shows, I would not be wasting my time doing my Spanish homework.

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Chapter One: Willow's Decision

Willow Rosenberg's eyes fluttered open. Her vision was slightly blurred. _Crap, _she immediately thought. She turned her head to her right. There was a figure standing next to her. With another blink of her eyes, she was able to recognize it as Buffy. "Buffy," she whispered.

"Willow, thank God you're ok," Buffy stated as she looked up from her magazine. Seeing as it was a hospital magazine, it was months old. None of that mattered anymore. Willow was alive. She had survived. Again. "Will, this stuff's funny once, maybe twice," she pleaded. "You have to do something."

Willow shook her head as she tried to push herself up from the bed. It was hard. Her chest was in too much pain.

"My point exactly," Buffy said. "Willow, you know how dangerous this lifestyle is."

"And I'm not going to let that stop me from doing the things I'm good at," Willow argued back. "I don't care if one demon is out there or a whole herd of them. As far as they're concerned, I'm the enemy. The bad seed. But if I didn't do that spell, there would be more of them out there."

Buffy once again shook her head in protest. "But because you did that spell, all of the demons and vampires want you dead. You made it easier for their species to die out."

"And that's supposed to be a bad thing?" Willow argued back.

"Well, when you become their target for killing it is!" Buffy exclaimed. "Willow, you can't keep living like this. If you do, it will get you killed. There's no reason for you to have to die for this."

"Exactly," a man said as he approached from behind Buffy. His booming voice caused Buffy to jump in shock. "Miss Summers, visiting hours are over," he stated.

Before Buffy even had a chance to glance at her watch, two other men were escorting her out the door. Buffy knew better than to try and fight it. Doing such would only get her visiting rights for the next. "I'll call you later," she promised as she left the hospital room.

"Miss Rosenberg," the man said as he closed and locked the door. "Have you given any consideration to what we talked about the last time you were here?" He glanced down at her medical file. "That would be the gunshot wound last week to your left arm."

"I have given it some thought, Agent Ericksen, but my answer is still no," Willow said firmly. "I can't leave like this. I can't leave Buffy and Xander. Or Dawnie. Or Kennedy. No," she reiterated. "I can't. I won't, and I can't."

"What choice do you have, Miss Rosenberg?" Agent Ericksen asked her seriously. "The entire staff here knows everything about you, from your birthday down to your insurance ID number. Answer this honestly: In the last month, have you spent more time here or with your friends and family?"

Willow grunted, but she got his point. "Here," she grumbled in response.

"If you go back out there as yourself, you are as good as dead," he stated.

"I-I wouldn't necessarily go that far," Willow began.

Agent Ericksen grabbed her medical file again. "Then how would you explain this? 'May 31st, patient came in with two stab wounds to the lower abdomen. June 13th, patient rushed in with a broken wrist and possible head trauma. June 17th, MVA, saved only by seatbelts and airbags. July 3rd, GSW to the left shoulder. July 14th, and we're back to stabbing on the lower abdomen.' Do you have a death wish or something, Miss Rosenberg?"

Willow grumbled again. She was not angry with Agent Ericksen. He had gotten involved with her case after the second attempt on her life. She was angry at the situation. She was angry because she knew he was right. If she left this hospital, the risk was too high that she would be back in a couple days, only that time she might not be alive.

"When would we leave?" she asked finally.

"U.S. Marshals will be here to escort you within the hour."

"Escort me to where?" Willow asked meekly.

"New York City," Agent Ericksen answered. "Don't worry. Everyone looks familiar there. You'll be safe."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I apologize for the delay. I had a hard time remembering the details, and then shit happened…Anyway, here's the next chapter. I don't remember if Lily's last name was ever mentioned on the show. I don't think it was, and now that I say it, it's probably going to be said next week…Sigh. That's life.

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Chapter Two: New York, New York

The article was in the obituaries that following Saturday. According to it, Willow Alyson Rosenberg had died from internal bleeding due to a stab wound in her lower abdomen. Hospital nurses had informed Buffy, who in turn, called all of the Scoobies to inform them of the tragic news. None of them knew the truth.

That was the part that bothered Willow the most about all of this. Not only would she have to give up everything about her previous lifestyle, including witchcraft, but she also was not allowed to tell anyone what had really happened. Her friends from Sunnydale, her parents- they would all think that she died. They could not claim the body though. As for anyone she met in New York, they would think whatever her background was. She did not understand it all yet. She was out of it in the hospital, and no one told her anything about it yet this day.

She was sitting in the back of an SUV. It would be driving her all the way up to San Francisco, where she would catch a plane to New York along with Agent Ericksen. She did not completely understand why she could not fly out of LAX, but Agent Ericksen claimed it was for security reasons. He had papers laid out in his lap and on the seat between him and Willow. The windows to the SUV were tainted.

"Can I ask a question?" she asked curiously as she peered over at some of the papers.

"Anything, Miss," Agent Ericksen responded. "The more you ask, the safer you will become."

"Just what exactly are you doing right now? Where will I be going, exactly?"

Agent Ericksen put the papers down and gave Willow his full attention. "Well, your new name is Lily Weaver. When we arrive in New York, you'll have a new address in Queens under that name, a driver's license, social security number, bank accounts, everything." He sighed. "I pulled a favor with my brother. His name's Marshall. Basically, his friend Ted is having a party to try and meet the woman of his dreams. Marshall doesn't want to go alone since doing that will make him have to be a 'bro' with this other friend Barney. Here's where you come in.

"Lily is a couple years older than you are. She went to college with Marshall, and they fell in love. But Lily had a great teaching job in Trenton, New Jersey after graduation, so Lily and Marshall broke up. Now, Lily has a better job in the city, so she decided to look up Marshall. I know it sounds a bit strange, but we're going to have to integrate you somehow. You already have a job interview. Kindergarten teacher. What do you say?"

Willow smiled sheepishly. "Um, wouldn't Marshall's friends know that he never dated a girl named Lily?" she asked.

Agent Ericksen shook his head. "No," he confirmed. "I checked with my brother three times, Miss Rosenberg. No one would remember whether or not he dated a girl named Lily or any other name for that matter."

"So how will this work, exactly?" Willow asked. The whole thing still confused her. "Am I just supposed to show up at this party and be all 'I'm Marshall's girlfriend'. I doubt that will work."

Agent Ericksen shook his head. "My brother will be waiting for us when we land at JFK. I'll explain the logistics of what will happen. He already knows what can and cannot happen."

"And Buffy?" Willow asked. "Am I just supposed to forget about her?"

Agent Ericksen shook his head. "Of course you're not supposed to forget about her. She was your best friend, after all. But you cannot contact her. Everything from your previous life you have to ignore. It doesn't matter how much you want it. For now, you are Lily. You are to behave as Lily would."

"But I don't even know who Lily is!" Willow argued.

Agent Ericksen sighed again. "You will," he told her.


End file.
